Question Tag

Question tags are the short questions that we put on the end of sentences – particularly in spoken English. Questions tags are used to keep a conversation going. You can agree or refuse to a sentence with a question tag.

Procedures adding a question tag

1.      We use the same auxiliary verb in the tag as in the main sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb, we use do.

e.g. You live in Spain, don't you?

2.      If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is affirmative, the tag is negative. If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is negative, the tag is affirmative.

          3.      With auxiliary verbs

The question tag uses the same verb as the main part of the sentence. If this is an auxiliary verb (‘have’, ‘be’) then the question tag is made with the auxiliary verb.

e.g.

• They’ve gone away for a few days, haven’t they?
• They weren’t here, were they?
• He had met him before, hadn’t he?
• This isn’t working, is it?

            4.      Without auxiliary verbs

If the main part of the sentence doesn’t have an auxiliary verb, the question tag uses an appropriate form of ‘do’.

e.g.

·         I said that, didn’t I?

·         You don’t recognise me, do you?

·         She eats meat, doesn’t she?

5.      With modal verbs

If there is a modal verb in the main part of the sentence the question tag uses the same modal verb.

e.g.

·         They couldn’t hear me, could they?

·         You won’t tell anyone, will you?

6.      We use an affirmative tag question after a sentence containing a negative word such as never, hardly, nobody.  e.g.

§  Nobody lives in this house, do they?

§  You've never liked me, have you?

7.      The subject such as nothing, something, anything, everything, that or this, we use it to replace the subject in question tag. e.g.

·         Nothing bad happened, did it?

·         Everything is good, isn’t it?

8.      When the subject is indefinite person (nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, someone or everyone) we use they in the tag. e.g.

·         Nobody asked for me, did they?

9.      If the main verb in the sentence is have (not an auxiliary verb), it is more common to use do in the tag question. e.g.

·         You have a Ferrari, don't you?

10.   If we use used to in the sentence, we use didn't in the question tag. e.g.

§  You used to work here, didn't you?

11.  In the imperative sentence, the tag question is will you. e.g.

§  Close the window, will you?

12.  In the present tense if the subject is I, the auxiliary changes to are or aren't. e.g.

o    I am student, aren't I?

13.  If we use let's in the sentence, the tag question is shall we. e.g.

o    Let's go to the beach, shall we?

             14.  If we use “there” in the sentence, we also use there in the question tag. e.g.

o    There are many books, aren’t there?

Exercise

1.      You won’t tell anyone,__________?

2.      He had met him before, ­­­­_________?

3.      He never goes out with his dog, _________?

4.      Open the window, __________?

5.      We must be at home at 8 pm, ­­­­__________?

6.      We have a car, _____­­__?

7.      Don't open your books, _____________?

8.      He’s really good-looking, __________?

9.      There’s a book on the table, _________?

10.  Let’s have fun, _________?

11.  She shouldn’t have said anything,_______?

12.  I’m not late, ________?

13.  Nobody has arrived yet, ________?

14.  Everybody will be there, ___________?

15.  That dog is very noisy,__________?

16.  I’m in trouble, _____________?

17.  Bill got what he wanted, __________?

18.  Your friends finish work at five o'clock, ___________?

19.  It won't be anything expensive, ____________?

20.  This shirt is too big for me, _____________?